Weddings

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Lawn in the azalea and potentilla collection of Longenecker Horticultural Gardens

Note: We are at capacity for weddings and we are currently not accepting new reservations. Please email us if you have questions.

Do you dream of a gorgeous location for a wedding, commitment, or vow renewal ceremony?

The Arboretum could be your special place. (Sorry, no receptions.) We invite inquiries from couples who want a unique, ecologically sensitive ceremony. Do you envision nature for decoration, acoustic music, open air, and simplicity? You could tie the knot in one of Madison’s beloved natural areas.

Our wedding packages feature an outdoor site amid the potentillas and azaleas in Longenecker Horticultural Gardens, with the Visitor Center auditorium held as a bad weather backup site. Reservations also include chair set-up and take-down in both locations, time for a ceremony rehearsal, signs directing guests to the ceremony site, a permit for the wedding photographer, a PA system with two wireless microphones, and two or more staff members for assistance.

The three packages are based on the number of guests: up to 50 guests for $1,150; up to 100 guests for $1,350 (includes an additional staff member to direct parking); up to 150 guests for $1,600 (includes two additional Visitor Center rooms for staging).

Please note that the Arboretum gardens and natural areas will remain open to the public during ceremonies.

A wedding, commitment, or vow renewal ceremony at the UW–Madison Arboretum supports our mission to advance ecological restoration and Aldo Leopold’s land ethic through research, land care, and education.